This year's Alabama State Science & Engineering Fair, held April 1-3, 2004, at the University of Alabama- Huntsville, Spragins Hall, provided our Section yet another opportunity to peruse interesting student projects, and award eight special awards to winners in the Science & Engineering disciplines. Award winners received a certificate and $100 savings bond from the Section, for projects ranging from which glues were the best for bonding materials, to efficient line-of-sight computer algorithms. As was pointed out by Sue Bonne, judging is difficult, with many deserving projects making the selection process challenging.

This year at the Special Awards Banquet, held Friday evening, April 2nd, at the Von Braun Center, the ASEF was entertained by a group called the "Other Guys," a performing / singing part of the University of Illinois Glee Club. Singing, with much drama, a variety of humerous musical selections, they were quite a captivating bunch, with an energetic program well suited for both the younger and more senior members of the audience. Hats off to the ASEF organizing committee for coming up with such an interesting addition to the awards program!

The "Other Guys" from the University of Illinois Glee Club woo the crowd.



The Junior Division IEEE special award winners were: Mary Barr, "Jelly Bean Probability"; Quinn Jackson, "Stress Bridge Test"; Ashley Chambliss, "The Difference Between My 'Simple' Computer and a 'Modern Day' Computer"; and John Lind, "Which Glue Will Do?"



In the Senior Division, the Section had two repeat achievers from the North Alabama Regional Science Fair: Amy Eskridge, with her project "Experimental Study of a Homemade Piezoelectric Water Droplet Generator"; and her brother, Michael Eskridge, with his project "Development & Testing of a Rocket-Driven Magnetohydrodynamic Generator." Our other two winners were: Elam Oden, "Efficient Line-of-Sight Algorithms on a Delaunay Triangulated Irregular Network"; and Nirmal Choradia, "Primes in Pascal's Triangle." Nirmal Choradia (not present).

Having the opportunity to judge and experience student ideas is reward enough, but as one student put it in a letter to the Section: "It is sponsors and supporters like yourselves that help to make experiences like these so much more enjoyable. You provide incentive to excel that might not otherwise be present, and help to motivate students to do well by rewarding us for our progress." Congratulations to our winners, a special "Thanks!" to our judges, and once again it was a successful and meaningful way our Section is contributing to fostering our future scientists and engineers.

Elam Oden's "Efficient Line-of-Sight Algorithms on a Delaunay Triangulated Irregular Network."


Nirmal Choradia's "Primes in Pascal's Triangle."



Amy Eskridge's "Experimental Study of a Homemade Piezoelectric Water Droplet Generator."



Michael Eskridge's "Development & Testing of a Rocket-Driven Magnetohydrodynamic Generator."



Quinn Jackson's "Stess Bridge Test."



John Lind's "Which Glue Will Do?"



Ashley Chambliss's "The Difference Between My 'Simple' Computer and a 'Modern Day' Computer."




Mary Barr's "Jelly Bean Probability."